The annual running of the Ollie Silva Memorial 75-lapper for the International Supermodified Association (ISMA) is the biggest event on the August calendar each year at Lee USA Speedway, and the 2017 edition of the race ran on Friday night in front of a packed grandstand.

A strong field of the high-powered open-wheelers invaded “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed” filled the pit area, and after a round of time trials and three lightning-quick qualifying races were run, the starting field was set for the main event.

Jamie Timmons of North Andover, MA was missing from the feature event starting lineup, having been knocked out of competition after a hard crash in his qualifier. Timmons slammed the frontstretch wall and destroyed his racer, reportedly suffering back injuries in the wreck, though he walked to the ambulance under his own power.

When flagman Bryon Callen unfurled the green to let the thundering pack loose, another scary incident sent two more cars to the sidelines before a single lap was in the record books, as Moe Lilje of Vickery, OH and Oswego, NY’s Dave Danzer ended their respective nights with a tangle and a trip into the unforgiving concrete wall in turn one.

Michael Muldoon of Baldwinsville, NY picked up the lead when racing resumed, and he maintained the point until lap 33, when Ben Seitz of Bourne, MA moved past and took command. Seitz scored the $1,000 halfway bonus four laps later, and he was off to the proverbial races, pulling away to a comfortable lead over the next several circuits.

By the 60-lap mark, Seitz had a straightaway lead over the competition, and just when everyone in the place thought the race was over, Seitz’s was, as his Ken Locke-owned machine lost power and coasted to a stop to bring caution on the field just twelve laps short of victory.

Muldoon got the lead back for the restart, and he held off a tough challenge from Mike McVetta of Wellington, OH to take the checkers for his first career ISMA win. Trent Stephens of Ravenna, OH rounded out the podium in third, followed by five-time Lee ISMA winner Chris Perley of Rowley, MA and former Lee USA Small Block Super champ Dan Bowes of Byfield, MA.

The finishing order for the Ollie Silva Memorial 75 (position, driver, car number): 1. Michael Muldoon (15), 2. Mike McVetta (22), 3. Trent Stephens (19), 4. Chris Perley (11), 5. Dan Bowes (25), 6. Mike Ordway Jr. (61), 7. Jon McKennedy (21), 8. Mike Lichty (84)l 9. Mark Sammut (78), 10. Timmy Jedrzejek (97), 11. Dave Duggan (51), 12. Ben Seitz (37), 13. Mike Netishen (55), 14. Alison Cumens (39), 15. Justin Belfiore (8), 16. Dave Danzer (52), 17. Moe Lilje (74).

The Lee USA Supermodifieds were contesting their biggest race of the season as part of the support program, running the special 40-lap “Rodfather Shootout”, with a hefty $4,000 winner’s share of the purse on the line. Polesitter Steve Douphily of Plaistow, grandson of legendary ISMA car owner Vic Miller, broke out to the early lead, but the race was quickly under caution for a lap two incident.

Mike Netishen, the only driver doing double duty in the twin Supermodified events for the night, found trouble coming off turn two, ending his race after a bout with the wall and a trip back to the pits that required a pair of wreckers. On the restart, Northfield’s Leslie Keyser quickly made his way to the front, and once there, he was there to stay.

Running virtually unchallenged the rest of the race, Keyser led the field under the checkers for his second win of the year, and the biggest payday of his career. 2016 champ and current points leader Dave “Hollywood” Helliwell was up in the late laps to claim second aboard the Witkum Brothers Racing entry, with Douphily hanging on to finish out the podium in third.

There were plenty of Lee USA weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions in action as well, with the R & R “The Tool Store and More” Late Model Sportsman event going to Newmarket’s Bryan Kruczek, who held off a tough challenge from Exeter’s Frankie Eldredge to collect the win.

Boe Green of Berwick, ME held off two-time 2017 winner Paul Palen of Pelham to score the win in the David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stock main event, while Tyler Mailhot of Epping collected the MLM Diagnostics Pure Stock checkers. Eric Skofield picked up the EKeys4Cars Northeast Classic Lites win, while time constraints forced postponement of the Tri City Line-X Ironman feature.

Next up at Lee USA is another special event on Friday, August 18, featuring 50 laps of action for the Hobby Stocks, along with regular features for the rest of the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions.

For more information on this or any upcoming event, call the race hotline at 978-462-4252, log on to www.leeusaspeedway.com, or find us on Facebook.


Judy Macdonald